Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

सरिद्भिर्भ्राजते श्रेष्ठा पुरी शाक्री च भास्करी । केचित्पञ्चाग्नितपसः केचिदप्यग्निहोत्रिणः

Transliteration

saridbhirbhrājate śreṣṭhā purī śākrī ca bhāskarī | kecitpañcāgnitapasaḥ kecidapyagnihotriṇaḥ

Translation

Jene erhabene Stadt erglänzt durch ihre Flüsse, strahlend wie die Reiche Śakras und Bhāskaras. Einige üben die Askese der fünf Feuer, andere bewahren das Agnihotra.

Word by Word

• सरिद्भिः: by/with rivers
• सरिद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• भ्राजते: shines
• भ्राजते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्राज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• श्रेष्ठा: excellent, best
• श्रेष्ठा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• पुरी: city
• पुरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• शाक्री: of Śakra (Indra), Indra-like
• शाक्री: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाक्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular (इन्द्रसम्बन्धिनी)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात — Conjunction/particle (and)

• भास्करी: sun-like, radiant
• भास्करी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भास्करी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular (भास्करसम्बन्धिनी)

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Pronoun ‘some’, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पञ्चाग्नितपसः: performers of the five-fire austerity
• पञ्चाग्नितपसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + अग्नि + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘those whose austerity is (with) five fires’

• केचित्: some (others)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Pronoun ‘some’, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय — Indeclinable particle (also/even)

• अग्निहोत्रिणः: Agnihotra performers
• अग्निहोत्रिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निहोत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra (Revākhaṇḍa setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A river-laced sacred city on the Narmadā, shimmering like celestial realms; on the ghāṭas and hermitages, ascetics sit amid ritual fires, some tending agnihotra altars at dawn and dusk.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Pañcāgni-tapas
• Agnihotra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred region is recognized by both its natural splendor and its disciplined practitioners—tapas and Vedic rites are signs of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A prominent river-city in the Narmadā region (Revā Khaṇḍa context), celebrated as resplendent with waterways and ascetics.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pañcāgni-tapas (austerity amid five fires) and Agnihotra are explicitly mentioned.